


fight in the ring

by ebonynightwriter



Series: Shallura Month 2017 [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Universe, Drama, Escape, Fighting, Gen, Gladiators, Mid-Season, One-Shot, Season/Series 04, Shallura Month 2017, Tension, Trapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-02
Packaged: 2019-02-09 18:37:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12894288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ebonynightwriter/pseuds/ebonynightwriter
Summary: When a rescue mission goes south, Allura and the team find themselves in a hard situation. //“Wait, Shiro’s the Champion?! Since when?”





	fight in the ring

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N:** Not much to say about this one - just popped into my head while brainstorming! haha... (always gotta open with the action scenes _*finger guns*_ )
> 
> -.-
> 
> **[shallura month (2017) // day 2](http://ebonynightwriter.tumblr.com/tagged/mine:%20shallura%20month%202017)** · champion / gladiator
> 
> -.-

_Left._

Shiro’s feet slide across the dirt, narrowly dodging another blow. He rolls, pushing off while his opponent’s weapon is still in the ground. His arm ablaze, he lunges forward—

_Right._

He feels the strike for a second; the mace’s hard, jagged edge crashing into his left arm. The white of his armor cracks into pieces, flying with him across the arena. He hits the wall with his back, and all the air leaves his lungs. His opponent stares him down from the opposite side of the ring – their long, jackal-like face spread wide with teeth.

_Stand._

The arm hangs at his side, bits of blood and armor falling by his feet as Shiro forces them to the ground, his legs swaying as much as his vision. The fingers of his right hand curl with heat and bright neon as his opponent comes forward, one ground-shaking step after the other. He waits, breathing hard as the large creature raises the mace above his head, swinging it down—

_Strike._

He moves toward the gut.

_Win._

.

.

.

Allura wakes with a pounding headache, and a fuzzy face in her eyes.

“What—” she says, lifting her head for a second before realizing that was _not a good idea_ and places it back down again. Pinching her brow against the headache, she tries to lift her hand, only to find her arms were bound behind her back. She tilts her head a small ways, trying to get a view of the room. In front of her were solid bars with bright, golden light streaming through them — it was a cell or cage of some kind. The muffled sound of a crowd comes through the walls.

She looks back to the creature — a small, furry thing with buck teeth and shining eyes. It takes a little thinking to place it, but this time, she recognizes them.

“Lieutenant Cooper…” she breathes, slowly sitting herself up. She winces slightly as she moves, still struggling with the pounding in her head. “What happened? Where am I?”

Cooper leans, their small hands wringing together.

“I’m so sorry, Paladin, but I’m afraid we’ve gotten you captured,” they say, ears slumping. “We came to this system in response to a distress beacon coming from the surface, but it was a trick! They captured us all, and told us to bring Voltron to them.”

“Yes…” Allura replies, the inklings of memories coming back through the pain. “I remember getting your signal…”

She closes her eyes, shuffling through all she can remember — following the beacon to the surface of a dry, desert planet, the Lions taken down through some kind of technology or magic, a rush of energy coursing through them, through her, the sound of yelling and laughter—

She breaks from the thought.

“The others!” she says, leaning toward Cooper. “The other Paladins, where are they?”

The Lieutenant’s head sinks, the flat of their tail sweeping slowly across the dirt.

“The Green and Yellow ones are in the cell over there,” they say, motioning to another cage beyond the front of the room. “The Blue one is behind you. They haven’t woken up.”

Her head whirls.

“Lance!” she shouts, standing briefly as she crosses to the corner of the room where he lays. She kneels beside him, leaning over as she shouts again. “Lance, wake up!”

He groans, hair and face swept with dust as his consciousness slowly comes to. Squinting into the light, he strains his neck at her.

“Allura?” he asks weakly, mind still in a daze. “What happened?”

“We were captured,” she replies, sitting back on her legs. “Are you injured anywhere?”

Lance sits up with another groan, head hanging to the ground.

“No, I think I’m alright,” he says, finally raising his face to meet her. A low moan comes from beyond the cell as Pidge and Hunk also awaken. Hunk sits up first, blinking into the light.

“Huh? What?” he says, looking around. “Where are we?”

“In prison, I guess,” Lance sighs.

“The distress beacon we picked up was a trick,” Allura says, her face tense. “Which means whoever is on this planet has Voltron.”

“Wait, what?” Pidge asks, wide-eyed. “How did that happen?”

Cooper shuffles over to Lance and Allura.

“They are not interested in Voltron,” they say. “They only wished to bring it here so they could meet the one they call ‘ _Champion_ ’.”

Lance raises his brow. “Who’s that?”

“Oh no!” Pidge says, her head whipping around the cells. “Where’s Shiro?”

“The Black Paladin was not with you when they brought you here,” Cooper explains.

“Wait, hold the phone,” Lance says. “ _Shiro_ _’s_ the Champion? Since when?”

“It’s what the prisoners on Zarkon’s ship called him!” Pidge explains. “Whoever is holding us must be someone from there!”

“What do you think they want with him?” Hunk asks.

Suddenly, the crowd above them cheers. Lance looks to a small barred opening at the top of their cell.

“Something tells me they don’t want an autograph…” he says.

Allura goes to the opening, standing as high as she can. A circled arena spans before her eyes, dust clouding the air. As it clears, Allura sees a large creature wielding a jagged mace standing on the other side of the ring. Shiro kneels in front of them – bruised and bloodied.

She steps back from the wall.

“Shiro is fighting someone,” Allura says. “And it doesn’t look good.”

“We have to do something!” Pidge says.

“There is no way out,” Cooper says. “These cells and restraints are unbreakable.”

Allura’s brow tightens.

“We’ll see about that,” she says. “Lance, can you get my bayard?”

“Lemme see…” he replies, scooting close to Allura’s thigh. He extends his hand, reaching for the blue slots in her armor. A moment passes as his fingers stretch, then the amour shines, and bayard flows into his hand.

“Got it!” he says. Allura turns around.

“Give it here.”

He does, and Allura transforms it into her whip. Maneuvering it carefully in her hand, she approaches Lance with the edge out. Understanding her thinking, he turns his back to her.

“Careful,” she says, slowly moving towards his bindings. They move slowly as the edge finally touches, and the bindings fall in pieces to the floor.

“Okay, that’s one down,” Lance says, rubbing his wrists. “What about you guys?”

Hunk presses his face to the cell.

“Hey! Hey someone!” he calls. “A little help!”

“Hunk!” Pidge hisses.

“It’s okay, I gotta plan,” he says with a wink. “Just stay quiet and watch the magic.”

A hovering robot approaches the cell.

“Uh, hi, say are those key’s you have there?” Hunk asks, eying a bunch of metal at its side. “You think maybe you could let us out?”

The robot’s eyes flash red. “Invalid command. Prisoners are not authorized.”

“Could you at least take these cuff’s off?” he asks. “They’re kind of chaffing—”

“Incorrect command,” the robot repeats. “Prisoners are not authorized.”

“Oh come on,” Hunk says, pressing his head into the bars. “Work with me here.”

“Invalid command. Prisoners are not—”

A shot to the back sends the robot crashing to the floor. Hunk looks at it for a second, then eyes Lance annoyingly.

“You know, I thought I was reaching it—”

“Just grab the keys!”

.

.

.

After a bit of straining and fumbling involving legs and tedious feet pinching, they manage to get the keys. Hunk tosses them over to Lance once he and Pidge were free, who quickly turns to unlock Allura. Once freed, she  kneels beside Cooper.

“Do you know how to get out of here?”

“I think so,” Cooper replies, shaking off the restraints as Lance slips the key in. “But we must check the other cells first, my team is still locked up somewhere.”

She puts a hand to their shoulder as Lance walks to the front of the cell.

“Don’t worry,” she says. “We won’t leave them behind.”

“So what are you thinking?” Lance asks, opening the door. “Find the Lions and go to the stadium guns blazing?”

Allura looks to the small window, the crowd beyond it cheering away.

“That will take too long,” she says. “Hunk, Pidge. You go with Cooper and free the other prisoners. Lance, come with me.”

“What are you gonna do?” Hunk asks.

She walks through the door.

“Stop this fight.”

.

.

.

The entrance to the ring is just past a stairway down the hall. Two large creatures stand at the top, their backs turned at her, distracted by the fight in the arena. Lance follows close to her side as Allura goes up the steps, bayard in hand. She keeps an eye to the one on the right, their peripheral closest to her position.

It’s the left one that spots her.

_“Hey!”_

Her whip shoots out as they move to strike, wrapping around the arm of the canine-faced creature. She gives a hard _pull_ , sending them straight into their companion. They fall to the ground in a heap and Lance runs forward, slamming the end of his bayard into their head — knocking them out cold.

Allura leaps over them, straight into the arena. The sun blinds her the moment she steps into it, and she lifts a hand, closing her eyes for a second before she puts them back on the ring. She sees him at a spot across its radius — arm damaged, head bloodied, but _alive_.

His name flies from her mouth.

“Shiro!”

Squinting with one eye between her and the creature, he finds her too, nearly gawking at the sight of her.

“Allura?!”

His opponent turns, saliva dripping from their long mouth.

“How did you escape?”

Lance runs beside her, pointing his bayard at every mean mug he sees.

“Okay,” he says, looking at the size of the crowd. “Any plans on getting out of here?”

The creature gives a raging cry.

“Fools!” they shout. “Rommtu will not let you leave!”

With their back turned, Shiro takes his chance. He dives forward, digging the hot metal of his hand into their side. Rommtu lets out a screeching cry, twisting at Shiro. They bring the mace up and swings it down, right into Shiro’s chest. He rolls fast across the ground, coming to a stop with a gasp of air. Head low, he coughs into the dirt, his breath ragged and thick with blood. Rommtu walks forward, mace raised over their head—

—and Allura shoots her whip, wrapping the coils around the metal club. She pulls hard and fast, tugging the blow away from Shiro, knocking Rommtu to the side. They recover their balance quick enough, setting their eyes on her, mouth snarling.

Lance opens fire.

“Have some of this!”

Rommtu ducks, their open arm blocking the beams shooting from Lance’s bayard. A low growl emerges from their throat as the hail continues, a slobbering mess dripping from their teeth. Allura keeps her hold on the mace, eyes fixed on Shiro.

“Run!” she shouts.

Shiro dashes forward, a limp to his step but he gets out of range soon enough, Lance’s attack keeping Rommtu from pursuing. His breath is heavy as he makes it to their side, sweat running off his face. He looks back as Rommtu snarls, staring down the group as the sharp beams slam into their skin. They step into the attack, their pull on the mace increasing as the whip’s length shortens between them. They bring it across their front, blocking the fire…

And Shiro turns to her, eyes wide in a panic as Rommtu gives the mace a sudden, sharp _pull_.

“Look out!”

The glow at his hand fades as he reaches for her, their hands barely touching as the whip’s length draws to Rommtu. Lance ceases fire, running forward as she loses her balance, her feet knocked from beneath her as she’s pulled from them. She flies across the ring — through the air and past Rommtu’s massive form.

Allura feels the wind leave her lungs, the armor around her chest cracking as she slams into the wall. She lands on the ground with a cloud of dust surrounding her, vision blurred as she lifts her head through the haze. She feels the ground shaking as Rommtu steps toward her —  Shiro yells her name.

_“Allura!”_

She sees the shadow of the mace seconds before the strike.

Pushing off the wall, she runs out of the way as the mace comes down, the force of the blow sending shock-waves through her spine. Lance opens fire at Rommtu’s back as she runs to them, nearly slamming into Shiro’s chest as they come to a sudden stop beside each other. Shiro grabs her arm as she turns around, whip at her side as Rommtu ignores the fire fight, charging at them. Shiro’s hand lights up as she sends her whip out, wrapping around the mace. Only this time Rommtu flies forward, leaping at them. Allura pulls her bayard, but the slack is too much — she feels Shiro’s arm wrap around her as the mace slams in front of them.

They fly back in a tumbling heap, a mess of limbs and broken armor. She comes to a stop as her back hits the wall again, Shiro falling across her legs. She grabs hold of his shoulders, helping him up but finds his head relaxed and limp — his eyes closed.

Lance runs toward them — as does Rommtu.

Laying Shiro to the ground, she stands with a slight bend to her leg as she moves over his body, whip flexing at her side. Lance’s bayard hits the creature in the side, but it moves forward still. Her body tense, she throws her arm back…

Everyone stops as a large shadow covers the arena. Lance takes his eyes off the beast for a second to look up, a wide grin spreading on his face as the Green Lion looks over them.

“Well it’s about time!” he shouts.

Allura’s vision blurs as the roar echoes through the ring.

And she falls.

.

.

.

Her mind is blank when she opens her eyes.

A rush of adrenaline overwhelms her, charging her forward only when she does attempt to move she finds her body sapped of strength. Wires and bandages cover her arm and chest, and a hand appears in the corner of her vision, pressing gently to keep her in place.

“Coran…” she says, her voice a whisper of air. The man steps in front of her, crouching on a stool beside the bed.

“How are you feeling?” he asks. “And don’t try to get up, you’ve got a few broken ribs.”

She remains still, head back against the pillow, thinking of the dryness that plagued her mouth.

“Sore,” she says after a moment. “And thirsty.”

“I’ll get you some water,” Coran says, standing right away. She grabs hold of his glove before he passes, her eyes shut tight as a wave of nausea hits her in the gut.

“Where’s Shiro?” she asks.

Coran sighs, his eyes moving to a place behind her and she turns, her breath sharp as she lays sight on his still, beaten form. She moves toward him—

“Easy now,” Coran says, holding her by the shoulder again. “He’s fine, just resting. We’ll get you both to the healing pods once we’re back to Olkarion.”

Once she relaxes, Coran releases her, leaving the room through a doorway above her head. Allura exhales heavily, ignoring the small pain that shoots through her chest, all the while keeping her gaze on him. His body was bruised and still covered in dirt and blood, but his face was calm and void of pain.

Somehow, it makes her smile.

It was more than she could ask for.


End file.
